Amnesia Review, Wait What?

OK so I do no think many of you are familiar with the game Amnesia the Dark Decent. It was released by Frictional Games in September of 2010 so it is a fairly recent game but not fresh off the shelves. This game is PC exclusive so all you console fans might want to skip to the next article. This game is a horror game and it probably is the single scariest things I have ever experienced in my life. To put it in perspective, think of the scariest horror FPS out there like dead space for example, then take away your ability to fight back as well as all sources of light, that is Amnesia. So not only can you not really see the scary monster demon zombies, but you can shoot back at them.

The story of the game is very in depth and if you own or want this game, paying attention to what is going on is not only interesting, but helpful. The first thing the game says when you start it up is something like “Amnesia should not be played to win but rather you should emerse yourself in its story and world.” Having said this I wont say much about what happens because it is one of the objectives of the game to figure it out for yourself. I think I have said this before but I hate spoiling stories. What I will tell you is that your name is Daniel, you are in some mysterious castle, and you are being hunted by a shadow. Your memory is erased and this is all you know about yourself. You must travel across the castle searching for clues about your self and what happed at the castle before you forgot everything. But the shadow and his zombie/demon minions are after you and wait around almost every corner. Unarmed, you must avoid these creatures and avoid loosing your mind.

Game play for this game is very well done. While you have no weapons with which to defend yourself, the developers give you a nice array of options for funning and hiding from the zombie demons. Another cool thing about this game is that you don’t just worry about your health, but also about your sanity. Staying in the dark too long causes your vision to blur and you see things that aren’t there. You have a lamp with you but with limited oil as well as a few tinderboxes with which you can light lamps. In adition to being a horror game, you must progress by solving puzzles which are fun to figure out and are a good relief from the terror you get from being hunted all the time.

Overall I would say it is a good game, not great. I would not put it on your buy list but I would consider it. If you do decide to buy it, a word of warning: it will be the most horrifying experience of your life. It may just be a game but when you are playing it, it feels like everything is real. When I play it I am constantly looking over my shoulder because I keep thinking the in game sounds are happening for real. My heart feels like it is about to burst out of my chest and I cannot play for more that about a half an hour at a time otherwise I will not be able to sleep for a few days. So if your looking for a scare, Amnesia is the way to go. Wait what did I just review again?